Gallagher anxious to sever his links with FF
The Dragons’ Den star hit out at criticism of his association with Fianna Fáil and said he was “ambushed” recently on a radio show about his history with the party.
The businessman’s comments came as he and others rounded on potential candidate Gay Byrne after the broadcaster’s stinging criticism of Europe.
Ahead of a campaign visit to Clare today, Mr Gallagher said he did not want to be “demonised” because of his past work with Fianna Fáil. He said it was “nonsense” the links being made between him and the party.
He also contradicted a claim by Fianna Fáil’s Thomas Byrne that party leader Micheál Martin had called him about running in the presidential election. He said he had “absolutely not” discussed the race with Mr Martin or other senior party figures.
Mr Gallagher said he was ambushed in a recent interview with Pat Kenny on RTÉ about links with FF. “That was an ambush and somebody was well tutored to come in on that line… they said I had made it secret… Where is this story that I’m some sort of proxy FF candidate?
“I was a member of the party and I think it’s really dangerous and disappointing that the media and others might now try to demonise people who were a voluntary member of a political organisation.”
He said he was involved in Ogra Fianna Fáil, campaigning on youth issues in the 1980s, but had no links with the party between 1993 and 2007. He voluntarily directed the reelection campaign of Louth party TD Seamus Kirk in 2007 and attended two national executive meetings in 2009, he added.
He also criticised the actions of Fianna Fáil’s two most recent taoisigh.
On Brian Cowen and his decisions ahead of the economic collapse, he said: “I guess what Brian Cowen was doing and his Cabinet were doing was based on what was in front of them, they were making the best decisions they felt at the time. Maybe in hindsight, there were decisions that could have been made differently.”
On mistakes Bertie Ahern may have made and accusations made at the Mahon Tribunal, he said: “I’m sure he has done good [and] he has done things that are not so good.”
Mr Gallagher also said recent comments by Gay Byrne were “dangerous”. The presenter had said Ireland was “being run by mad people in Brussels”.
Labour TD and Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Joe Costello, said the comments were “unhelpful” and “disappointing”.
He said Mr Byrne’s view, if he was elected, could damage negotiations on future CAP subsidies and reflect badly when Ireland’s hosts the EU presidency in 2013.
European Movement Ireland’s executive director, Noelle O’Connell, also described Mr Byrne’s comments as “unhelpful”.
